Bin.



F. J. -MOMENAMIN.

m- APPLIOATIONIILBD JAN. 17. 1910.

973,368, Patented OCt. 18,1910

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: I WW0 521W 3 dawn/KW W THE mamas PETERS cm, wnsmncron, a.c.

F. J. MOMBN AMIN BIN.-

' APPLICATION FILED JAN.17, 1910.

973,368., Patented Oct. 18,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

BIN.

erases.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

Application filed January 17, 1910. Serial No. 538,381.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS J. MCMENA- MIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bins, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide an open work multiplebin casing and bins therefor so constructed and arranged as to excludedust from the bins and bin receptacles while permitting a freecirculation of air above, below, in front of, behind, and at the sidesof each bin.

Another object of the invention is to con struct the multiple casing insections in such manner that while it may be extended laterally, theopenwork connection between adjacent units will be essentially the sameas the open work connection between contiguous tiers of the same unit.

Another object of the invention is to save both space and time in thenormal operation of the bins.

Another object of the invention is to provide for readily enlarging thenormal opening to the interior of bin in case it is desirable to havemore free access thereto than is necessary in normal use.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the bins and theirreceptacles that they may be freely slid out and in without sticking orjamming and may be readily replaced or interchanged.

In the drawings, which represent a preferred embodiment of my invention:Figure 1 is a front view of two units of the multiple bin casing. Fig. 2is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view ofone of the bins and the part of the casing forming the receptacletherefor. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through sam'e. Fig. 5 is avertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail view, of apart of the sliding curtain.

The multiple sectional casing a comprises upright strips 1 andconnecting strips 2 composing the sides of the casing, top and bottomhorizontal strips 4: and intermediate horizontal strips 5 composing thefront of the casing, and bin supporting strips 6 secured to the sides ofthe casing and whose upper surfaces are flush with the upper surfaces ofthe corresponding front strips. There is thus formed a single unitarystructure comprising a plurality of bin casings or receptacles.

The bins b, hereinafter described, are preferably of less depth than thecasing so as to leave open spaces at the rear of the casing when thebins are pushed back into their several receptacles. They are also ofless height than the individual receptacles, so as to leave an openspace above them.

The top and bottom front strips 4 are provided with ventilating orificespreferably covered with wire netting 15. The rear of the multiple casingmay be open and back up against the wall of the store room, or it may beclosed by means of a plain solid back if desired. The multiple casing iscovered by a plain top 7 By means of the foregoing construction, theinterior of the multiple casing is openwork, permitting air to circulatefreely above, below and behind each of the bins, while the wire nettingexcludes the entry of dirt and dust. Thereby the structure possessesimportant sanitary qualities.

A removable end wall 8 is secured, preferably by screws, to the strips 1and 2 composing each of the outer sides of the exterior vertical tier ofbin receptacles. When it is desired to enlarge the capacity of thestructure, one of these end walls 8 is removed, and an additionalunitary multiple casing 0, which may consist of one or more tiers ofreceptacles similar to those of which the casing a is composed, isabutted against the open side of the casing a, and the end wall 8applied to close the side of the casing 0.

Each sliding bin 7), of which there are as many as there are receptaclesin the multiple casing, is composed of a floor 9, side walls 1O, l0, andlower and upper front sashes 11 and 12. The front sash 11, ,whichpreferably is inclined somewhat outwardly from the floor up, isconstructed to receive a pane of glass 13, through which the material inthe bin is always open to observation. The open-top upper sash 12, whichpreferably is inclined somewhat outwardly from the top down, is providedwith upright guides 14, formed in its opposite side members.

Beneath the upper edges of the sides 10, the same are provided, alongtheir inner walls, with horizontal grooves or guides, within whichslides the top 16 of the bin. Connecting the sides 10, immediately infront of the top 16, is a roller 17.

18 is a flexible sliding curtain, which is adapted to rest upon the top16 of the bin and to be pulled forward and downward over the roller 17and slide in the guides 14 of the upper sash 12. The curtain 18 ispreferably composed of slats. Each slat has contracted ends 19, andbetween the contracted ends, the front side of each slat is cut away atthe top and the rear side of each slat is cut away at the bottom, theupper rear projection 20 of each slat overhanging the lower frontprojection 21 of the slat immediately behind it. Each contracted end hassecured to it a hinge member 22, which is connected with the hingemembers of the corresponding ends of the two contiguous slats. Thisconstruction permits the curtain to turn the sharp angle between the topand front of the bin as freely as if it were composed wholly of flexiblematerial, and at the same time the construction is one of substantialdurability and effectually seals the opening through the sash 12 whenthe curtain is rolled down into normal position.

Secured beneath the floor of the bin, adjacent to the side wallsthereof, are metal strips 24. Near the outer edge of each strip the sameis cut away to receive a row of balls 25, which project slightly belowthe lower face of the strip. Secured to the upper faces of the strips 6of the casing are metal strips 26, each of which is cut away, near itsinner edge, to receive a row of balls 27. By means of this construction,the bin is freely slidable within its receptacle, however substantialmay be the weight of material contained in the bin.

In the normal use of the bin, the parts are in the position shown inFig. 2, except that the curtain 17 is pulled down so-as to wholly closethe opening in the sash l2. Vhen it is desired to gain access to thebin, the curtain is rolled upward and backward. It is not necessary topull the bin forward to remove the contents, thus saving con siderablespace which may be utilized by providing deeper bins. It may bedesirable, however, especially in filling the bins, to gain more freeaccess thereto; and this is effected by pulling out the bins to, orbeyond, the dotted line position, shown in Fig. 4, and sliding back thecurtain beyond its normal open position and then sliding back the top16.

Having now fully described my invention,- what I claim and desire toprotect by Let= ters Patent is:

l. The combination, with an open-front casing, of a bin slidableforwardly and rearwardly in the casing and provided in its front with anopen-top upper sash and a lower sash, a glass inserted on the lowersash, and a flexible curtain slidable in the upper sash-and slidableover the top of the bin.

2. The combination with an open front casing, of a bin slidableforwardly and rearwardly in the casing and provided at its front with anopening and guideways along the sides of the opening, a removable topslidably engaging the upper ends of the sides of the bin, and a flexiblecurtain slidable in said guideways to close said opening and slidablerearwardly along the top of the bin.

3. The combination with an open-front casing, of a bin slidableforwardly and rearwardly in the casing and having an opening in theupper part of its front and closed in the lower part of its front,upright guides at the sides of said opening, a roller at the top of saidguides and in front of the top of the bin, and a flexible curtainslidable over said roller, within said guides and along the top of thebin and of greater length than the height of said opening.

4. The combination with an open front casing, of a bin having a floor,side walls and rear wall, rearwardly extending guides near the upperedges of the side walls, a bin top slidable in said guides, front binmembers comprising a lower sash and an open-top upper sash, a glasswithin the lower sash, upright guides in the side members of the uppersash, a curtain composed of a series of connected slats the ends ofwhich are slidable in said guides, and a roller extending crosswise ofthe bin at the upper ends of the lastnamed guides and at the forward endof said bin top, said curtain being adapted to slide over said rollerand along the bin top.

5. The combination with a multiple bin casing comprising an openframe-work dividing the easing into a Jlurality of bin receptacles, ofbins comprising side walls, a rear wall, a bottom and a top, said binsadapted to enter said receptacles, each bin having an open front portionand provided with guideways, and a curtain slidable in said guideways toclose the front of the bin and slidable along the top of the bin;

6. The combination with an open-front casing, of an open-front binslidable forwardly and rearwardly in said casing, a curtain, composed ofa series of slats, hinged together, and slidable upwardly and downwardlyin the open front of the bin and forwardly and rearwardly along the topof the bin, each of said slats being cut away between its ends along theupper partof one side and the lower part of its other side to formcontinuous projections which respectively overhang the adjacentprojection of one adjacent slat and are overhung by the adjacentprojection of the other adjacent slat, each of said slats being cut aWayat its ends on opposite sides to an extent substantially correspondingwith the dimensions of the projections and connected hinge members 10secured to the contracted ends.

In testimony of Which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, atPhiladelphia, on this 31st day of December, 1909.

FRANCIS J. MQMENAMIN.

Witnesses:

E. E. ALL, M. M. HAMILTON.

